White House: Obama Has Not Ignored Mideast Peace Process

The White House on Wednesday refused to concede that the Obama administration has largely ignored the Middle East peace process in recent months.

Asked whether President Obama has not, in fact, recently pursued the “kick the ball down the field” strategy advocated by GOP nominee Mitt Romney in secret remarks to donors, White House press secretary Jay Carney said, “I would contest the premise.”

The president has “made this a priority,” Carney said of helping Israel and the Palestinians negotiate a peace.

“We have come at this problem in a variety of ways and will continue to work with our international partners,” Carney added. Although the peace process presents a challenge, “it is too important an issue to disregard and declare unsolvable.”